Why do think “LOVE” has become obsolete?

If you applied for a spouse but didn’t love them, you would want to get a divorce. But in this community you’re not allowed to be with another person that hasn’t been assigned to you. And the community can’t force you to love the girl or guy you marry. Because you could stop taking the pills anytime you wanted, and the community wants you to be perfect. Love the people they give you and no one else. So if the community can’t get you to love your family, then they mine as well take away love for good. So it doesn’t interrupt the utopian society that they want!

 

What do you think “LOVE” means to this community

I think that the people in the community have little understanding of want love actually means. I think that the people don’t use love because it is too strong a word. Because if you love someone you will always want to be with them. So if you love someone other than your family it messes up the community. And in the book when Jonas asked his mom and his dad if they loved him, they answered but in a different way. They said to him that they don’t use the word love anymore. And they gave him examples of sentences he could have used instead of love. Like: Do you enjoy me? Or, do you appreciate me? They kind of get it but still they don’t know that love is way more powerful. Way more meaningful. Even his mother said: “You used a very generalized word, so meaningless that is has become obsolete.” Love has sooooo many different meanings. Whether you love your family or you love a friend. So overall I think that this community doesn’t really know what love means but they think of it as liking, no loving.

-Jaime